Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

I came across this Peter Drucker quote for the first time the other day. While Drucker was speaking in reference to organizational culture, management and economics, the day I read the quote I’d been mulling over for probably the million and oneth time in my career as a dog behavior consultant how or why different clients end up implementing different parts of a behavior plan.

Drucker’s quote I think well sums it up, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The nicest behavior plan on paper won’t actually work, won’t actually be implemented, or be effective, unless it also works within the culture of the family or individuals who are to implement the plan. Different family, different culture, different elements of the plan will be applied more effectively than others. This is actually one of the pieces I enjoy about behavior consulting. That’s part of the puzzle, the creative planning, the tinkering with the plan, the strategy, as I grow to understand the culture within which the plan is being implemented, and also as the family culture changes over time with their own learning and adaption.

It’s also why I always remind clients if things aren’t working the way we talked about, let me know, we can adapt. There is no one size fits all. Culture can change. Strategy can change. But in the end, culture and strategy must work together to be effective.